Pages

Monday, March 14, 2011

Blog-checking lines: Kathlyn of Bake Like a Ninja was our Daring Cooks’ March 2011 hostess. Kathlyn challenges us to make two classic Peruvian dishes: Ceviche de Pescado from “Peruvian Cooking – Basic Recipes” by Annik Franco Barreau. And Papas Rellenas adapted from a home recipe by Kathlyn’s Spanish teacher, Mayra.

I'm not as daring as I would like to be. As much as I would like to think I am so "cool" and "with it" in my food experiences, I just don't care for sea food.... throw in it being raw and my gag reflex kicks in. Thankfully there are hundreds of other daring chefs out there this month that are sea food lovers so I don't feel that bad about making only the Papas Rellenas recipe.

Oil for frying (enough for 2” (50 mm) in a heavy pan like a medium sized dutch oven)

Directions:

In order to save time, you can boil the potatoes, and while they are cooling, you can make the filling. While that is cooling, you can make the potato “dough.” In this way, little time is spent waiting for anything to cool.

For the dough:

1.Boil the potatoes until they pierce easily with a fork. Remove them from the water and cool.

2.Once the potatoes have cooled, peel them and mash them with a potato masher or force them through a potato ricer (preferred).

3.Add egg, salt and pepper and knead “dough” thoroughly to ensure that ingredients are well combined and uniformly distributed.

While the potatoes cool down before finishing the dough, you can make the filling:

1.Gently brown onion and garlic in oil (about 5 minutes).

2.Add the chili pepper and sauté for a couple more minutes.

3.Add ground beef and brown.

4.Add raisins, cumin and paprika and cook briefly (a few seconds).

5.Deglaze the pan with white wine.

6.Add olives and cook for a few moments longer.

7.Add hard boiled eggs and fold in off heat.

8.Allow filling to cool before forming “papas.”

Forming and frying the papas:

1.Use three small bowls to prepare the papas. In one, combine flour, cayenne and salt. In the second, a beaten egg with a tiny bit of water. Put bread crumbs in the third

2.Flour your hands and scoop up 1/6 of the total dough to make a round pancake with your hands. Make a slight indentation in the middle for the filling.

3.Spoon a generous amount of filling into the center and then roll the potato closed, forming a smooth, potato-shaped casing around the filling. Repeat with all dough (you should have about 6 papas).